Steam heating apparatus.



No. 700,080. Patented may l3, I902.

S. G. PHILLIPS. STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

' (Application filed Aug. 10, 189B.)

\ 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

.THE NORRIS PETERS ca. Pu'u'roumc. WASHINGTON. u. c.

N0. 700,080. Patented May l3, I902.

s. a. PHILLIPS. STEAM HEATING APPARATUS (Application filed Aug. 10, 1898.) (No Model 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

TR: Monms Pn'ir s $0., FNOTDMTHQ, WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMEON G. PHILLIPS, OF RAHVVAY, NEW JERSEY.

STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N b. 700,080, dated May 13, 1902. Application filed August 10,1898. Se ria11 To. 688,258. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIMEoN G. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rahway, Union county, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for utilizing the exhaust-steam from an engine in raising the temperature of large volumes of air to be used in heating or drying operations, and has for its object greater economy and increased efficiency in working. 7

I have devised an apparatus in which the exhaust-steam from an engine received in a system of radiator-coils of great superficial,

area and considerable height may be rapidly condensed by large volumes of cool air directed upon the radiators in a series of independent currents by fans driven by the engine, the partial vacuum thus produced materially aiding the latter, while the air thus heated is utilized in drying or analogous operations.

As I have carried out the invention it con-:

sists of a series of vertical radiator-coils arranged within a suitable inclosure' or building having aseries' of air-inlet openings and discharge-passagesIand a number of fans in such relation thereto as to receive cool air from without,;circulate .it spirally between' the coils, and discharge it while hot, but before the temperature rises too high to effect condensation, thesucceeding fans receiving a fresh cool supply, which is similarly trav-. ersed and discharged. 1 Large volumes ofcool air in independent currents'are in this manner passed through the radiators, and the; height of the latter with low drainage, either. with or withoutthe aid of an air-pump,- in-- this specification and show the invention as carried out in practice.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a building adapted to dry bricks or similar articles and equipped Lin accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on a somewhatlarger scale, corresponding, essentially, with the preceding figures, but differing in certain details. Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the relief-valveon a. larger scale, and Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing modifications of the valve. Fig. 7 is a face view of one of my improved fans, and Fig. 8 is acorresponding edge view. Fig. 9 is a face view of a portion on a largerscale. Fig. it) is a vertical section through the same parts.

Similar "letters of reference indicate like parts infall the figures.

I have shown the invention applied to a drier particularly adapted for drying bricks or other articles of wet clay before burning.

A is a high-pressure steam-engine, which may be of any ordinary or approved type, receiving steam from a boiler. (Not represented.) The exhaust is ledv downwardly through a pipe B and thence horizontally to a vertical pi pe B, extending upwardly within the building L and connecting through a lateral branch B to a header 0 at the top of the radiators C C. The latter are preferably in connecting-sections arranged longitudi nally of the building along its center and extending nearlyits full height and are built with specialiregard to great superficial area, so'as to servewith large volumes ofinoving air at a low/temperature in heating the air for drying-and otherpurposes and also to serve together asac'ondenser for'the exhauststeam received from the engine through the branch B The several runs of pipe'forming each section are arranged at a considerable incline to insure rapid drainage and are joined at a low point in the building to aheader 0 similar to that at the top,and drained through the pipe (1 by means of the air-pump 1D "or through the branch 0 leading. directly to a sewer or other outlet and contrOlledLby-the valves 0 0 so arrangedinithe pipes 0 .0 that the air-pump may be cut off 'when'de'siredand the partial vacuum maintained in the radiatorsections by the column of water descending 'for the work to be performed.

bygravity through the lower header and cscaping to the drain.

F F are fans arranged, as shown, in series at one side of the line of radiators and adapted to circulate air between the coils of the lat.- ter. They are driven by belts from a counter-shaft driven by the engine. The air is received from outside through the opening L and is drawn through the lower portion of the radiator to the first fan below the deck or floor L and forced upward through a suitable opening above the deck,thence by the guides I." diagonally across and forward through the upper portion of the radiator, thence downward and again through the lower portion of the radiator at a point farther forward to the second fan F, and thence discharged. The third fan receives cool outside air through the opening L traverses it, as before, to the fourth fau,and discharges it,and so on through the entire length of the building or so much of it as may be desired or found expedient I have shown the air from the first pair of fans discharged upward through the passage L to beled away for heating purposes and that from the second pair as passing downward to the underground passage, similarly marked, to be led to the boiler-room and tin ally discharged into the furnace below the grate-bars. The bricks or other articles to be dried are cross-piled upon cars P, running on tracks L on each side of the radiator and adapted to be slowly pushed through the building from end to end across the spiralpaths of the several currents of air.

The construction of the fans F is peculiar, especially adapting them to serve in traversing the air through this apparatus. Each consists of a central boss or hub F, in which is secured a circu m ferentially-arranged single series of eyes F having screw threaded shanks F and cheek-nuts F to which are secured the blades F of sheet-steel sufficiently pliable to allow bending when in position. Each eye receives a bolt F passing through two adjacent blades near the advance edge of one and rear edge of the other, as shown, (see Figs. 7and 8,) and holds them securely, but separated to the desired distance, by means of the removable washers F Thus each blade is secured in an inclined position to two eyes and may be adjusted to any angle desired by simply turning the latterand making the necessary addition or subtraction in the number of washers before the check-nuts F" are set and the nuts I tightened. I prefer to increase the angle of in clination in each second fan, and thus accelcrate the movement of the current which has already been put in rapid motion by the first, and by making the blades of pliable sheet-steel or other suitable material I am able to set their outer ends to any desired angle by simply bending or twisting them by hand after they are in position to be run. Experiments demonstrate that the centrifu- My experiments indicate that with s'ufticieut height, radiating-surface, and cross sectional area in the coils under favorable conditions of drainage and low temperature of air all the steam may be condensed so rapidly that back pressure on the engine is avoided and its efficiency considerably increased by the partial vacuum produced; but in order to avoid back pressure when the volume of exhaust increases for any reason I provide a lightly-loaded relief-valve M at a convenient point in the exhaust-pipe B and allow the excess to lift the valve and escape through the pipe B I have shown the relief-valve mounted in the angle formed at the junction of the pipe B and the branch B It is a puppet'rvalve arranged obliquely, the seat at being in a partition M", extending from the lower opening M in the casing to the opening M in which the branch pi eB is en a ed. M is ano en'- P s a ing communicating with the interior of the casing M beyond the partition. It receives the vertical pipe B leading through the roof of the building and open to the atmosphere. The extended valve-stem M", carrying the valve-disk M is screw-threaded nearly the entire length and passes through a stutiingbox M very loosely packed on the bonnet M. It receives two helical springs M and M and their adjusting-nuts and passes through an opening in a guide-yoke M secured to the bonnet. The spring M abuts against the gland of the stuffing-box below and under the nut m above, exerting a lifting force on the valve-stem, tending to keep the valve always open. The spring M bears against the under face of the yoke M and the adjusting-nut m below, tending to seat the valve. By turning the nuts m m the disk M may be set to stand normally at the required distance above the seat and still be very sensitive to slight currents tending to lift or seat it. A washer m of felt or rubber, encircling the Valve-stem between the disk and bonnet, softens the impact of a sudden lift, and a similar washer m above the yoke M is struck by the under surface of the not on the reverse movement and prevents hammering upon the valve-seat. The curved oblique partition M allows the steam to flow easily from the pipe 13 to the branch B and leaves a nearly-direct path for the easy escape of the surplus.

A lever G, turning on the pivot bears against the end of the valve-stem and is operated by a cord G, attached to its free end and reaching the engine-room. By pulling upon the cord the engineer may close the valve when desired, and especially in starting the flow ofsteam to the radiator.

The exhaust-steam passing upward through the pipe Btis drawn through the branch 13 to the radiator-coils and rapidly condensed, as before described, the valve M standing normally open and allowing any excess of steam above that drawn by the radiator to.

escape easily in a nearly-direct line past the valve-disk and through'the pipe B to the external atmosphere.

I have observed in the plant erected that the vacuum is maintained in the coils and in the exhaust sideof the engine-cylinder while steam was escaping in considerable quantities from the open end of the pipe B due, I believe, to the momentum of the ascending column of steam in the pipe 13' carrying the surplus past the valve to the atmosphere when the steam in the cylinder was following furtherand larger quantities were exhausted at the end of the stroke than the radiator could condense. In that plant is used an Allis-Corliss engine, sixteen-and-one-halfinch piston, twenty-six-inch stroke. At the time of testing the boiler-pressure was eighty pounds and the engine making eighty revo-- lutions. The exhaust-pipe, corresponding to B B is six inches in diameter, and the branch pipe (B five inches, the radiator containing three thousand linear feet of one-inch pipe. \Vith the relief-valve nearly closed and the engine developingtwenty-five horse-power the gage showed five inches vacuum, (mercury,) and two gallons of Water per minute passed into the drain. The air-pump was cut off and not used. On increasing the load the horse-power developed correspondingly increased to about fifty. The relief-valve was held wide open and the air-pump connected and started to faster remove the Water of condensation. The gage then showed eighteen inches of vacuum, and surplus steam was blowing away from the open end of the exhaust-pipe (B above the roof.

A portion of the heated air after serving in absorbing moisture from the articles to be dried may be utilized to advantage by admitting it to the boiler-furnace beneath the gratebars to promote combustion.

In the plant above referred to the vacuum maintained in the radiator increases the efficiency of the engineto an extent more than equaling the power expended in driving the fans, and therefore reduces the cost of drying very materially.

I attach importance to the low-drainage feature as offering, when circumstances Will permit, an efficient substitute for the airpump, allowing the latter to be dispensed with, thus savingin the first cost and expense of operating.

My experiments indicate that where the discharge end of the pipe 0 is sufficiently below the radiator the gravity of the descending column of water acting upon the mingled water, steam, and air in the serpentine runs forming the elevator will draw down and discharge the imprisoned air at intervals, and

obtained with a radiator thirty-two feet or more in height. t

Fig. 5 shows a simpler form of the reliefvalve in which nice adjustments are dispensed with. It will serve successfully; but the form shown in the preceding figures is deemed preferable.

Fig. 6 shows an uprightform in which the sensitive qualities are retained and adjustments made by sliding weightssupported on opposite ends of a lever. In this'form the passage for escaping steam is slightly obstructed by an elbow.

Instead of exhausting through the pipe I3 directly into the air I can lead such steam through the branch-B to an auxiliary drier or utilize it for heating or other purposes.

In Fig; 3 I have shown the fans set at an angle and an auxiliary series upon the deck L The apparatus may be thus constructed, if desired; but the single series arranged as in Figs. 1 and 2 is believed to be all that is generally necessary.

Instead of two fans between each air inlet and discharge the sets may be made up of three or more, causing the air to spiral through a longer traverse before escaping, and each succeeding fan may have the angle of its blades correspondingly increased to drive the currentfaster, or,if the condition demands it as, for instance, in preparing or tempering the clay for safer dryingthe blades may be set to lessen the speed of the air-currents throughout the whole or a portion of the in closure.

The obliquity of the guides L may be Varied, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In situations Where the supplyof exhauststeam is nearly constant and the capacity of the radiator sufficient to easily condense it at ordinary temperatures the relief-valve may be dispensed with and its place taken by a simple .valve controlling the pipe B so as to close when desired in starting the flow to the radiator.

I do not in this application claim the con densing feature of the apparatus nor the peculiar construction of fan employed, both being made the subject of separate applications for Letters Patent, the condenser filed. Sept ember 27, 1899, Serial No. 731,856, and the fan filed September 27,1899,SerialNo. 731,855.

I claim 1. In a drying apparatus, an inclosure having a series of inlet-openings and dischargepassages, a series of vertical radiator-coils arranged within the inclosurc, and a series of fans arranged to receive cold air from without, circulate it in independent currents spirally between the coils and discharge it while hot but before the temperature rises too high to eifect'condensation, and thereby insuring a partial vacuum on the exhaust side of the engine, as set forth.

2. In a drying apparatus a series of vertical radiator-coils, an inclosure therefor having a series of inlet-openings and dischargepassages, a series of fans arranged to receive cold air from without, circulate it in independent cnrrents spirally between the coils 

